Phenotypic plasticity of thermotolerance in close relatives within the genus Capsella (A06)

• Subject Area: Plant Genetics and Genomics
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 512328399

A6 (Bäurle) will investigate differences between Capsella species in the phenotypic plasticity of a physiological trait, the tolerance of plants to withstand heat stress. This tolerance depends strongly on the previous environment in which the plants grew, with previous mild heat shock(s) increasing it and resulting in acquired thermotolerance (aTT). Capsella species differ greatly in reaction norms of aTT, and the project will use quantitative genetics to identify the underlying molecular basis. The project will test the adaptive value of aTT and whether the limits of phenotypic plasticity as expressed in aTT can be shifted by artificial selection.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1644: Phenotypic plasticity in plants – Mechanisms, constraints and evolution
• Applicant Institution: Universität Potsdam
• Project Head: Professorin Dr. Isabel Bäurle